Premier League director of youth Ged Roddy aims to ensure all 92 clubs in top four divisions of English football get their own full-time head of coaching

Ged Roddy, director of youth at the Premier League, said: “We’ve always recognised that if you’re going to develop great players, you need great coaches.

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“For a long time there has been the criticism that you get your badges and then you are very much left to your own devices. This will mean all 92 clubs will have someone who is full-time employed to manage the development of those people and make sure they get better at what they are doing.”

Clubs will have flexibility over whether to redeploy an existing member of staff or bring in someone new under the scheme.

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Recruitment will begin in January, with the head coaches being enrolled in groups of about 20 on a two-year development programme.

The money will come from the Professional Game Youth Fund, which is financed by the Premier League, the Football Association and Football League.

But the Premier League has driven the initiative and will take the lead in making it work — which will be seen by some as another example of the FA handing over its traditional powers to top-flight clubs.